


Island of the White Soil

by KuraiOfAnagura



Category: One Piece
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-14 04:35:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5729713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuraiOfAnagura/pseuds/KuraiOfAnagura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico Robin met with one of the Revultionaries under rather unpleasant circumstances</p>
            </blockquote>





	Island of the White Soil

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that this was written years before we got an explanation why Sabo has never tried to contact his brothers.  
> It was my personal explanation for his absence in the War of the Best.

They had named it the island of the White Soil. Now with one hand protectively shielding her eyes she could see why it was called this. And she could also see why, in the middle of nothing but blinding heat and sharp crystals, the army of the revolutionary was in no fear of the world government. She'd always thought the Arabastarn desert was dangerous. But Bartigo was a downright suicidal place to live in.  
Nico Robin turned her back to the sharp winds and the burning sun and walked back into the cool and dark interior of the rough stone castle that is now the headquarters of the world's most wanted criminals.  
She smiles slightly at the thought of this. Yes, she definitely felt fitting in here.  
Slowly, as her eyes start to adjust to the shadowy surroundings, she walked over to the desk she'd been working on earlier, a cup of dark coffee already fresh on the side. They never failed to spoil her.   
The few times she'd spoken to Dragon had always pointed the difference between father and son, yet this determination to follow ones dream... Yes, she'd certainly experienced this thread of the family line already.  
But even now, after receiving the encoded message and the reassurance he was save after the War she couldn't help but but feel worried for her captain. The man that so violently threw her out onto to sea to just live her life. That accepted her no matter what she tried to push him away. She hadn't known until Thriller Bark that Luffy considered Firefist Portgas D. Ace his brother. Judging from the love he'd felt for his Nakama, the death of his brother must've ripped him apart. Sometimes, when she was at the edge of sleep, she could feel him and his pain near to her. Maybe it was an imagination, but then again she felt reminded of Oranges, Cherry Blossoms and Swords at the same time and she just knows that her Nakama shared these moments with her.  
She sighed and took the warm cup in her hand, carefully taking a sip from the welcomed liquid. Five weeks ago the War of the Best had destroyed Marineford and had left not only the Whitebeard Pirates in pieces, but also the Marines in a total chaos. Even though some other things had happened by now, the newspaper was still filled with retellings, exclusive new found photos and discussions about the Great Event.  
A clatter and an opening door took her out of her thoughts and she saw one of the revolutionaries entering her room. Blue Joe had been with her since he'd rescued her from the bridge. Always eager to treat her with everything she needed, he had the same spark in his eyes as when he spoke to Dragon.   
Sometimes she worried about this.  
"Robin-san!" he nearly tripped and the tray in his hands was swinging violently. An additional hand held it firm in place. "Ah! Thank you!"   
"You're welcome, Bunny-kun. Why the hurry? It's some hours to dinner or are my clocks going too slow?"  
"Not at all, Robin-san! And please just call me Joe. But could I ask you for a favour?"  
"Certainly."  
"I've been called to one of the outer watch posts, apparently there'd been some kind of accident and my service is needed. But it is my task to bring this food into the cell ward and try to coerce the inhabitant to eat. Maybe you can try to talk him into eating today? I fear he'd gone into a hunger strike."  
A little taken back she blinked slowly, while Bunny-kun already placed the tray onto her desk. "I'm really grateful for this! I'll make it up to you, last cell on the right!" and with this he was out of her study, leaving her answer unspoken in the air.  
  
Of course she knew that revolting against the whole world was not particularly all roses and honey, but stepping into the cold and damp warden made her feel uneasy, to say at last. Robin was slightly thankful that the cells seemed to be empty at this time. Except of course for "... last cell on the right..." she muttered to herself, as she took the last corner.  
She nearly dropped the tray as an obscene wall of stink hit her nose. Robin knew that smell. Dried blood, dried sweat and tears no longer shed.   
The prisoner of the last cell was chained by his wrists to the wall, head slumped to his chest and an dark brooding hanging over his head. The skin beneath his shackles and the straps was worn down, exposing bare flesh and sending trails of dark red blood down the ghostly white and painfully thin arms. The cell itself was a wasteland, cracks in the ceiling, the walls covered with smears and splatters of dried blood, whole gaps in the floor, probably coming from a fist.  
The additional straps and chains around the sunken down figure secured him in every possible way, fixing him onto the cold wall and prevented any movement or thought of escape.  
At the sound of the opening door the prisoner raised his head slowly and Robin could examine the half healed wounds on the swollen face and the short blond hair, now covered in the crispy brown of long dried blood.  
"Why, hello there. Bunny-chan busy or is this a new way to worm me out? Sending beautiful woman to spoon-feed me?" he crooked a smile and Robin noted that, without all the dirt, the wounds and the frantic fire in his eyes, he would've been rather handsome. He spoke in a casual voice, as if they've just met in a café and not behind closed bars.  
"Bunny-kun got called away, so he asked me to bring this to you. And to ask you if you're willing to eat it today." she placed the food on the floor and seated herself in front of him. This man was at least interesting and maybe she found something out about her all too generous hosts. Even though she'd been granted so many freedoms, she was very well aware that she was not much more of a prisoner than his man here.  
"As cute and hot as you are, sweetheart, I fear we're not meeting on equal terms here. I thank you for your way and your concern, but I'd be even more thankful if you just took the plate away again and leave." Their eyes met. Robin's sure she gave him a unreadable look. One of her best. But the ferocity in the opposites eyes were not bad either. They bored right into her core, leaving the faint memory of someone now far far away.  
"Why are you in here? Are you a political prisoner?" The man, no, the boy, he couldn't be much older than 21 or 23, huffed at this.  
"Hardly."  
"Not? Then are you a thieve? Or an assassin? I've heard that sometimes Dragon's the victim of such assaults."  
Now the dark circled eyes narrowed. "Are you by chance the newest addition to the army? I didn't know the Leader had a soft spot for …. people like you. Not after Iva-chan, after all..."  
"I'm … a visitor? Dragon's interested in what I may know, so he's offering me access to his accounts and books in exchange of an second opinion in his own research."  
"Ah, so you can read the Porneglyph?" A little taken aback by the clear statement she tightened up. The acceptance behind the word, as if it was nothing and not the greatest crime in history, startled her.  
Now it was her turn to narrow her eyes to dangerous looking slits. "Who are you?"  
Again that crooked smile. "Hah! Well, when I'm not busy playing 'which-bodypart-rots-fast' in here I'm actually a Commander of the Revolutionary Army."  
"Then why are you in here? Are you a traitor?"  
"I'm no traitor! Everybody that's fighting here has his or her own very good reasons to kick the governments ass. This goes for the fucktard Dragon, this goes for your little Bunny-chan and this also goes for me!"  
"This does not answer my question."  
He suddenly tried to avoid her gaze. He couldn't really tilt his head in any direction, not with the heavy level of which he was secured with, but suddenly Robin saw deep regret in his now dull eyes. "I … wanted to go."  
"Flee from the Revolutionaries?"  
This time the accusation of betrayal didn't startle him. "No... I wanted to go and … fight in the War of the Best... I … wanted … to save someone." He spoke slowly and carefully as if he thought about every word with care until he released it.   
"Who?"  
"It doesn't matter now. He's dead and I wasn't there." He'd braced himself again. His vulnerability replaced by growing anger. "The creepy asshole wouldn't let me go. He called it suicidal and threw me in here to prevent me 'from getting myself killed'!"  
Robin took another look at her surroundings. It appeared as if the boy had tried to fight his way out. Desperately. Again and again. To save his... friend? She suddenly felt a warm wave of sympathy washing over herself.  
"But the war's over for several weeks by now. Do you still want to go there?"  
He stayed silent on this.  
"So you decided to go on a hunger strike to punish those who refused to let you die?" She tried again.  
"If you want to see it that way?"  
"Well, I have ways of getting you to eat." A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes and several arms sprouted out of his head and shoulder, yanking his mouth open while a spoon of rice was shovelled into it. Firmly she clapped her hands over his nose and lips, forcing him to swallow the food. His eyes had widened at the look of her sprouting arms and she could feel him now struggling against her firm grip.  
Too late she realised that, no matter what, the boy wouldn't swallow. As the body began to cramp under her hands she let go and slapped him on the back several times. With shocked eyes she knelt closer to him, observing him in his coughing fit.  
He was breathing hard, sweat on his forehead and still a little bit cramped he smiled weakly at her, "you're an evil woman, you know?" He coughed a little more to get the last rice grains out of his mouth. "Don't you think they already tried this?! I wasn't there. I wasn't there when my brother died, I've let him down. With this shame I've loaded onto myself, I can't bear to live any more."  
The sudden sound vibrated from the bare walls.  
All additional arms forgotten she'd slapped him with her own hand. He looks rather dumbfounded as he was presented with her intense stare of anger.  
"You stupid boy," she states it calm, as a fact. "And here I thought you were stronger and different to those mindless lemmings of your leader. I can't stand people who don't want to live because they just can't bear it. If you can't risk your live, you can't create any future. But you're wasting yours in self pity. I have no time for the likes of you."  
She stands up and leaves the cell, leaving him behind, stupid look of confusion written all over his face. Robin can practically hears the gears behind his forehead.  
"Who...?"  
At the door she paused. "I'd like to talk to you again. But please in more nicer surroundings and when you're a lot cleaner. You stink. My name's Robin. My captain's name is Monkey D. Luffy. You may have heard of him."  
  
The next time she saw the young man was 3 days after her visit in the cell ward as she passed through the corridor that lead downwards.   
Bunny-kun had come to her one day later and asked her how she'd managed to get the Commander to quit his hunger strike. Apparently he was eating himself through the kitchen supplies, causing the cooking staff to rotate in near panic.  
She laughed slightly "I just thought: what would my captain do? His reactions tend reach people most of the times."  
Now Bunny-kun and Giraffe-san supported the still broken body up the stairs, probably heading towards the infirmary. Monkey D. Dragon stood in the floor, observing the transfer of one of his Commanders.  
"It's good to see you've come to your senses." The blond man shot him a glare of venom and hate.  
"Fuck off you creep! This has nothing to do with you!"  
"I'm not that foolish to think so. But allow me to be grateful that you don't try to kill yourself any more."  
"Tch, whatever..."  
  
"Robin-san?" she looked up from the book she'd been reading, greeting Bunny-kun with a small smile. "Commander Sabo wants to see you."  
"Commander... Sabo? Do I know him?"  
"Ah, he didn't tell you his name? That boy... no manners at all. He's the one you've visited 3 days ago in the cell. He's now in the infirmary and had asked if you would come and pay him a visit. He, uhm, told me to tell you 'I smell a lot better now'. I uhm hope you're not offended by this."  
"Haha, no, not at all. I'll be on my way in a few. Thank you for telling me, Bunny-kun," still a little flustered he managed to mumble "Please just call me Joe," and left her study.  
  
The white tiles on the walls only reflected the white surrounding of the deadly dessert on the outside, yet the room was cool and pleasant and the only occupied bed stood in the direction of a nice warm breeze that roared up and died down while Robin opened and closed the door.  
He'd been right, he was a lot cleaner by now, though most of his body was now wrapped in bandages. Apparently he was reading himself through the newspapers of the last weeks, paper already piling up high. His frown over the written words was fast replaced by a toothy smile as he greeted her.  
"Robin-chan! I'm glad you decided to still put up with me. Your presence lightens this room with beauty."  
"Of course I'd come," she smiled politely at him and seated herself at the offered chair next to the bed. "So you have brought yourself up to date?" she asked and pointed at the pile of old newspapers.   
"Yeah..." he runs a hand over his bandaged head and Robin could see the soft looking yet firm leather straps binding him to the infirmary bed. So Dragon may have released the hot headed boy from his cell, but he didn't trust him fully yet. "Though it was painful to see what I missed out. Maybe... if I would've been there... maybe I could've made a difference. I'd like to think that maybe, in some alternative universe, he can still be alive..."  
"The friend you wanted to save?" He nods silently, gazing out of the window. "Who was it you wanted to save? Are you sure he's really dead? There's been a lot of disorder during and after the battle." The man laughs dryly and his brows knot in a way as if he's on the edge to cry.  
"No... out of all victims of the battle... I can be more than sure. Everything else would be false hope. My brother is dead..."  
"...brother...?" Something in her insides begins to shake.  
Sabo covered his eyes with his palm, smiling despite the obvious pain he's in. "When we met again, it has to be two years ago, I was so happy to see him. So confident. Because he has become so  strong. So very very strong. I think what blows me most is the fact that he's... ah, I don't... maybe I'll tell you the whole story when we have a better time." He glimpsed at her and tried to smile and she saw that his memories were enfolding themselves behind his eyes...


End file.
